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　　When Microsoft bought task management app Wunerlist and mobile calendar Sunrise in 2015, it picked up two newcomers that were attracting considerable buzz in Silicon Valley. Microsoft’ s own Office dominates the market for “ productivity” software, but the start-ups represented a new wave of technology designed from the ground up for the smartphone world.

　　Both apps, however, were later scrapped, after Microsoft said it had used their best features in its own products. Their teams of engineers stayed on, making them two of the many “acqui-hires” that the biggest companies have used to feed their insatiable hunger for tech talent.

　　To Microsoft’s critics, the fates of Wunderlist and Sunrise are examples of a remorseless drive by Big Tech to chew up any innovative companies that lie in their path. “ They bought the seedlings and closed them down,” complained Paul Arnold, a partner at San Francisco-based Switch Ventures, putting paid to businesses that might one day turn into competitors. Microsoft declined to comment.

　　Like other start-up investors, Mr Arnold’s own business often depends on selling start-ups to larger tech companies, though he admits to mixed feelings about the result: “ I think these things are good for me, if I put my selfish hat on. But are they good for the American economy? I don’t know.”

　　The US Federal Trade Commission says it wants to find the answer to that question. This week, it asked the five most valuable US tech companies for information about their many small acquisitions over the past decade. Although only a research project at this stage, the request has raised the prospect of regulators wading into early-stage tech markets that until now have been beyond their reach.

　　Given their combined market value of more than $5.5tm, rifling through such small deals---many of them much less prominent than Wunderlist and Sunrise---might seem beside the point. Between them, the five companies(Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook) have spent an average of only $3.4bn a year on sub-$1bn acquisitions over the past five years---a drop in the ocean compared with their massive financial reserves, and the more than $130bn of venture capital that was invested in the US last year.

　　However, critics say that the big companies use such deals to buy their most threatening potential competitors before their businesses have a chance to gain momentum, in some cases as part of a “buy and kill” tactic to simply close them down.

　　31. What is true about Wuderlist and Sunrise after their acquisitions?

　　A. Their market values declined.

　　B. Their tech features improved.

　　C. Their engineers were retained.

　　D. Their products were re-priced.

　　32. Microsoft’s critics believe that the big tech companies tend to___

　　A. ignore public options

　　B. treat new tech talent unfairly

　　C. exaggerate their product quality

　　D. eliminate their potential competitors

　　33. Paul Arnold is concerned that small acquisitions might___

　　A. harm the national economy

　　B. worsen market competition

　　C. discourage start-up investors

　　D. weaken big tech companies

　　34. The US Federal Trade Commission intend to___

　　A. examine small acquisitions

　　B. limit Big Tech’s expansion

　　C. supervise start-ups operations

　　D. encourage research collaboration

　　35. For the five biggest tech companies, their small acquisition have ___

　　A. brought little financial pressure

　　B. raised few management challenges

　　C. set an example for future deals

　　D. generate considerable profits

　　参考答案：CDAAA

　　31.【解题思路】本题为细节题，根据关键词Wuderlist and Sunrise after their acquisitions

　　定位到原文第二段Both apps, however, were later scrapped, after Microsoft said it had used their best features in its own products. Their teams of engineers stayed on, making them two of the many “acqui-hires” that the biggest companies have used to feed their insatiable hunger for tech talent. 意思是“但是，在微软表示已在自己的产品中使用了它们的最佳功能之后，这两个应用程序后来都被弃用了。他们的工程师团队留下来，使他们成为了大型公司用来满足他们对技术人才永不满足的渴望的众多‘聘用人员’中的两个”。与C选项“ Their engineers were retained.(他们的工程师被留下来了)”表述一致。

　　【错误选项分析】

　　A. Their market values declined.(市场价值下降了)

　　B. Their tech features improved.(技术特点改善了)

　　D. Their products were re-priced.(产品重新定价)

　　三个选项原文均无提及。

　　32.【解题思路】本题为细节题，根据关键词Microsoft’s critics可定位至第三段To Microsoft’s critics, the fates of Wunderlist and Sunrise are examples of a remorseless drive by Big Tech to chew up any innovative companies that lie in their path. 意思是“对于微软的批评者来说，Wunderlist和Sunrise的命运是科技巨头毫不留情地打压任何阻碍其发展的创新公司的例子。”。与D选项 eliminate their potential competitors(清除他们潜在的竞争者)表述一致。

　　【错误选项分析】

　　A. ignore public options(忽视了公众选项)，原文并未提及

　　B. treat new tech talent unfairly(不公正地对待新技术人才)，原文之前说到保留并重用了工程师，所以并没有不公正对待人才

　　C. exaggerate their product quality(夸大产品质量)，原文并未提及

　　三个选项原文均未提及。

　　33.【解题思路】本题为细节题，根据关键词Paul Arnold定位到原文第四段 I think these things are good for me, if I put my selfish hat on. But are they good for the American economy? I don’t know.”意思是“如果我存有私心，我认为这些东西对我有好处。但是它们对美国经济有利吗?我不知道。”由but可知，从个人角度他认为这件事是好事，但是言下之意，对美国经济来说可能并不好。与A选项“ harm the national economy(伤害了国家经济)”表述一致。

　　【错误选项分析】

　　B. worsen market competition(恶化了市场竞争)，原文并未提及Paul谈论竞争问题

　　C. discourage start-up investors(阻碍了创业公司投资商)，原文提及这件事对于他自身是积极评价，所以可以推测出这种行为是有利于创业公司的投资商。

　　D. weaken big tech companies(伤害了科技巨头)，由前文可知，收购小公司对于科技巨头来说肃清了潜在竞争者，并未带来伤害。

　　34.【解题思路】本题为细节题，根据US Federal Trade Commission可以定位至第五段，The US Federal Trade Commission says it wants to find the answer to that question. This week, it asked the five most valuable US tech companies for information about their many small acquisitions over the past decade. 意思是“美国联邦贸易委员会表示，希望找到该问题的答案。本周，它要求美国五家最有价值的科技公司提供有关过去十年中许多小规模收购的信息。”说明FTC开始着手调查小型收购行为，与A选项“ A. examine small acquisitions(调查小型收购行为)”表述一致。

　　【错误选项分析】

　　B. limit Big Tech’s expansion(限制科技巨头扩张)

　　C. supervise start-ups operations(监督初创企业运营)

　　D. encourage research collaboration(鼓励研究合作)

　　三个选项原文均为提及

　　35.【解题思路】本题为细节题，原文第一次提及根据关键词 five biggest tech companies定位到原倒数第二段Between them, the five companies(Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook) have spent an average of only $3.4bn a year on sub-$1bn acquisitions over the past five years---a drop in the ocean compared with their massive financial reserves, and the more than $130bn of venture capital that was invested in the US last year.意思是“在过去五年中，这五家公司(苹果，微软，谷歌，亚马逊和Facebook)平均每年仅花费34亿美元用于10亿美元以下的收购-与它们的巨额投资以及去年在美国超过1300亿美元的风险投资相比，这笔支出可以忽略不计。”与A选项“ brought little financial pressure (基本没有造成财务压力)”表述一致。

　　【错误选项分析】

　　B. raised few management challenges(提出了一些管理方面的挑战)，原文并未提及提出挑战

　　C. set an example for future deals(为未来交易树立榜样)，原文中并未表示此项行为存在积极作用

　　D. generate considerable profits(产生可观的利润)，原文只是分析了这项做法并未造成严重的财政负担，并为谈及利润问题